Artemis
by chimplady
Summary: When Burke is captured by a female gorilla bounty hunter, he enters a new world on planet of the apes.


Artemis

The female gorilla had slowed down her pace and the dark haired astronaut was

grateful. She had previously caught all three of the fugitives but they escaped from her.

She wouldn't give up and in her determination she decided to capture only one of

them. Security Chief Urko, who she despised, would at least give her some reward for

one of these fugitives. He was determined to capture them, although he had been less

successful than Artemis. At least she had one of them. She glanced occasionally at her

captive human and then quickly looked away. The humans she owned were part of her

family, she had nothing against humans. Burke could feel in his gut that his captor didn't

really want to do this. She finally stopped and motioned for him to rest.

The weary human wiped his forehead and gave out a slight cough. "You're not sick,

are you?" Pete's eyes widened. "Exhausted and hungry, sick no. Why are you doing

this? Urko will see my capture as your duty to ape civilization. I doubt he is going to

offer you any reward." The gorilla's brow frowned and she faced the tired human.

"He will have to give me something or I will sell you to the highest bidder instead!"

"Great! wonderful choices. Slavery or Urko. Slavery or Urko. Slavery or Urko."

" Shut up! Are you always this irritating!" The raising of her voice startled the

astronaut who almost fell over sideways. His face showed surprise and he stood up and

responded to her question. "Irritating? If I am irritating you so much, why don't you

just let me go. Don't let me ruin your day." Artemis moved closer to her captive and

waved her finger in his face. "Don't talk to me like that! It's bad enough I have to deal

with a teenage son who talks to me like that. Shut up for awhile. Come on, move." I've

been a bounty hunter for ten years and I have never had to put up with immature

humans." Pete couldn't believe his ears. She wouldn't stop insulting him. If she kept this

up, Urko's tortures might not be so bad after all. The bantering back and forth with this

female gorilla, in addition to the amount of walking he had to do was making him hot and

very tired. He saw a lake off in the distance. He waited until they arrived closer to the

water before he spoke again.

"Artemis, I'm tired and sweaty."

" I know, you stink!" Pete decided to ignore the remark, it wasn't worth

continuing to argue.

"Could I please go for a swim?" "Sure. "

They both stood looking at each other for a minute or so. Burke spoke first.

"I need the leash taken off." The female gorilla didn't change her tone of voice.

"Of course. Take your clothes off first, then the leash comes off, after you give your

clothes to me." Pete forced himself to close his mouth in surprise.

"Is this necessary?"

"You are not getting away unless you want to live on the run in the nude." He couldn't

believe how tough his captor was. The tired astronaut gave out a sigh. He started taking off his shirt.

"I am not very comfortable with this situation."

" Oh, just relax. You have nothing I haven't seen before and this is not a big thrill for

me." Again, the dark haired astronaut eyes widened and he faced his captor.

"Don't know how I should take that one. Don't know if I shouldbe relieved or not." He

removed his clothes in silence while Artemis removed the leash.

The cool water was refreshing and after a few minutes he actually started feeling better.

He swam for awhile, never going too far from his captor who sat on the edge of the

water. She looked like she was lost in thought but Pete didn't have any energy to try

for an escape. The water was too refreshing and he was actually starting to feel better.

He wrestled internally that he liked his captor. He wanted to know why she was doing

this. Usually she hunted down criminal apes that had a substantial reward on their

heads. Many were hardened criminals who needed to be caught and put away. She was

good and Pete couldn't understand why she didn't get more respect. She did ape civili-

zation a great service by bringing in these lowlifes.

The dark haired astronaut swam underwater and then came back up for air. He

swam to the edge of the lake and then got out of the water. He sat next to Artemis while

he dried off. The warmth of the sun also felt good. Artemis still appeared to be lost in

thought. Pete relaxed for a few minutes and then started talking to the female gorilla.

"You have a teenage son?" Artemis didn't answer right away. After a few

moments she finally spoke. "I have three children, My teenager is the oldest, my daughter

is twelve and my baby is five." Pete turned to look at her.

"You have a handful there. But you're lucky, I don't have any kids." The

female gave out a laugh.

"Ha, lucky. Some days I am lucky, others I wonder why I ever reproduced. They

all have minds of their own."

"Like their mother, no doubt." She scowled at the naked human. "Put your clothes

on, we have to get going!" Pete was grateful to get his clothes back on but he did feel

better. Artemis reapplied the leash and tugged the dark haired human along. Pete

mumbled here we go again and Artemis gave him a sharp look but said nothing.

The sky was getting darker, indicating that night was about to arrive soon.

Artemis was impatient to turn her human captive in but knew that with night approaching

they couldn't keep going in the dark. Against her better judgement, she had no choice

but to bring her captor home for the night and turn him in the morning. Not a pleasant

thought, but she didn't know what else to do at the moment. She pulled on the leash and

Pete moved closer to her. They were face to face, about five inches apart.

"You are coming home with me, tonight! You will be on your best behavior and

you will be restrained until I deposit you at Urko's office. Pete didn't know what to say.

He groaned slightly and gazed into the female gorilla's large black eyes. She was

uncomfortable and stepped back. "Okay, whatever you say, boss." His face showed

weariness and Artemis turned around and tugged on the leash again. They both walked in

silence for a few minutes when Pete spoke again. "Goddess of the hunt." "What did you

say?" "Goddess of the hunt. You are named after Artemis , the ancient Greek goddess of

the hunt." She pulled harder on the leash. "Come on! I don't have time for ancient history

lessons!" Pete grunted when she pulled on the leash. He couldn't believe his predicament

and part of him felt his companions would be laughing at him if they saw his situation

now. Artemis walked along at a fast pace then slowed down. She never brought fugitives

from justice to her home but she didn't know what else to do right now. And she was

fatigued also but didn't show it. She never showed her captors any weakness. The sky

became darker with an orange sun fading slowly away. The human and gorilla walked for

another forty five minutes and then came upon Artemis's home. Pete was impressed. She

owned a small farm with horses. A female human with shoulder length brown hair tied

back in a ponytail opened the door. Artemis gave her a hug and pulled Pete along, then

tied him to a post in the entranceway. The female human gave him a suspicious glance

and started towards the kitchen. "Supper is ready, you must be starved! Who's this ?"

"This is one of Urko's fugitives. We'll keep him here for the night and I'll turn him

in tomorrow." Artemis was weary and she sat down on a chair. The female human

studied Burke. She had a frown on her face. "So, what is your story?" "My story?" The

astronaut was taken aback by her sarcasm. " My friends and I are on the run from Urko.

He is frightened of us because my human friend and are from Earth's past when humans

ruled." The woman didn't flinch and appeared stone faced before she spoke. "You're

full of shit. Well, Artemis, he is different. At least his story is different and creative. "

Artemis drank a glass of water.

"Yes, there is none like him." She gazed up at Pete who returned her glance. Pete

couldn't believe this. Most humans had helped himself, Alan and Galen. This one was

hostile and unfriendly. She continued giving him a sharp look and then proceeded to the

kitchen to check on the supper. Meanwhile, a teenage gorilla male came through the

door. He went directly to Artemis and hugged her. She was happy to see him.

"Oh, Mommy, I am glad you are home. You were gone for so long. Who is

this?" "This is Burke, a fugitive I am turning into Urko tomorrow." The young adoles-

cent male who was almost the same height as the human astronaut, went over to him and

shook his hand. "Welcome, Burke. Usually my mother turns in apes for a price. You are

the first human she has ever captured." Pete couldn't believe his ears. This gorilla male

appeared friendly and he felt more relaxed around him than the female human servant.

Things were getting a little odd and his comfort level was at an all time low. The gorilla

kept talking. "My name is Caleb and I love to ride horses. What is your story? What did

you do to attract my mother's interest in you?" Pete thought the question was worded

strangely but refrained from commenting.

"It's a long story. I am too tired to go into it." After the response he got from

the servant he didn't want to discuss where he came from. Caleb appeared to be

fascinated.

"A mystery then! I know, I'll try to guess what your story is and if I do, my

mother lets you go." Artemis got up and lightly shook his arm.

"That's enough, we are not going to participate in any silliness tonight. We

need the money and it is time for supper." Caleb gave out a laugh and jumped up and

down. Pete could feel in his gut that the weirdness was only beginning. He almost

wished he could run out of the house and straight to Urko. At least, Urko was a just a

agitated angry gorilla. This household was weird so far.

The female servant returned from the kitchen and motioned for everyone to come

and eat dinner. Caleb untied Pete and guided him to the kitchen which was quite beauti-

ful with flower arrangements and decorative kitchen ware on counters. A fluffy, black

cat sat in the middle of the kitchen table like he was the centerpiece. "Galen, you're not

suppose to be there! What do you think you are? You're a kitty!" Artemis talked to the

cat like he was a baby. She picked him up in his arms and he purred loudly. Pete gave

out a laugh when he heard the cat being called Galen. "What's so funny?" Artemis

continued to stroke the cat.

"I have a friend named Galen."

"Yes, the fugitive chimp. Those chimps are something else. I bring in more

chimps than any other ape." Galen purred louder. Pete had to raise his voice to be heard.

"What do you mean? About chimps?"

"Oh, you know, they can't stay out of trouble." Pete felt slightly

offended. Galen was his friend and this chimp bashing bothered him.

"Gorillas are quite aggressive……….he didn't have time to finish the

sentence when Artemis' youngest son, ran into the kitchen and kicked Pete in the shin.

Pete bent over in agony. The five year old gorilla was strong and he felt he was protecting

his mother. Artemis became enraged. She grabbed him by the shoulders and held him

firmly.

"You are not suppose to do that! Now go apologize to him, right now! I

don't know what I am going to do with you!" The sharp pain subsided

in Pete's leg and he stopped hopping around on the other leg. Caleb had let the leash go

and was eating some fruit. Pete bent over and rubbed his shin. Artemis was still seeth-

ing with anger. "This is unacceptable! When are you going to stop this awful

impulsive behavior!" She still gripped her son's shoulders. Pete intervened. "Okay,

Artemis! He's very young," Next she stood up and was in Pete's face. "Don't tell me how

to raise my child! You're the prisoner here, so shut up!" Caleb was now holding Galen

and the female servant continued setting the table like nothing was going on. Galen was

still purring at a loud volume.

Pete gave out a sigh. He was exhausted and in no mood for this. Artemis turned her

son around so he faced Pete.

"Tell him you are sorry!" The little one looked up at Pete with big dark

eyes and Pete felt like melting. "I'm sorry." Pete gazed back at the young

gorilla and put his hand on his shoulder gently.

"That's okay, buddy. I would never do anything to hurt your mother."

Artemis gritted her teeth.

"This has nothing to do with me. He kicks apes and humans all the

time. The other day the prefect of the village dropped in and he kicked him. This has got

to stop!" Now Pete was getting giddy from fatigue and hunger. He forced himself to

suppress laughter over the child kicking the prefect.

"He must be doing this for a reason,Artemis. I think he is a good

kid." The young gorilla studied Pete and then leaned against his mother. She picked him

up. "Let's eat before I get really angry!" Oddly Pete was allowed to eat at the table with

Artemis and her family. The female servant also joined them and Galen the cat ate from

his dish while everyone was eating. Caleb occasionally gave the cat tidbits of cheese

which were gratefully accepted. It seemed like the cat never stopped purring.

Pete was so emotionally drained that he couldn't think of an escape plan. All he

could think about was sleep. He noticed that only two of Artemis' children were present.

He wanted to ask where the third one was but didn't want to start anymore arguments.

The female servant kept giving him dirty looks so he avoided her gaze. Caleb talked non

stop about nothing. Everyone ate their food while he chatted away and the cat purred at

high volume. A few minutes after everyone started eating, Nicole came through the

door. She was Artemis' daughter, about twelve in age. She hugged her mother and

then picked up the cat.

"Where have you been,honey?" "I have good news. I bought back some of the

horses. Artemis stood up from the table.

"You disobeyed me! I told you not to go back and retrieve the horses! We

need the money!" The young female gorilla continued talking in a calm voice. "You sold

one of my favorite horses and it is time you start allowing me to learn the trade, Mommy.

This was so easy, I caught that psychiatrist with the huge gambling debts. We even have

some money left over after I bought back the horses." Artemis put her head in her hands.

"I would just like you to wait until you are a little older before you begin

your bounty hunter career. " Pete was intrigued by the idea of a young female gorilla

following in her mother's footsteps as a bounty hunter. He could tell that Artemis'

daughter was a lot like her mother. He didn't say it, but he was silently cheering Nicole

on. Artemis kept her head in her hands for several minutes. Pete wanted to consol her

and cheer her up but refrained from doing so. He chewed a mouthful of food when

Nicole noticed his presence. The young gorilla"s eyes lit up, she walked over to him and

put her hand on his shoulder.

" Oh, Mommy, you bought another human! This is really turning out to be

a great day!" Artemis stood up.

"He is not staying! Tomorrow He goes straight to Urko!. Eat something

and then it's time for bed!" Nicole stared at the angry gorilla. "You're kidding, aren't

you? Urko won't give you anything for a human. You're not making any sense. You say

we need money and then you go and capture a human? Are you alright,Mommy?"

Artemis was furious.

"Conversation over! I don't want another word out of anyone!" The

young gorilla patted Pete on the head and then rubbed his shoulder. "He's cute." Pete

looked nervous and now was very uncomfortable. This was so different than being

caught by a male gorilla soldier. His exposure to gorillas was only Urko and being

chased by his soldiers. He never thought much about them otherwise. The female human

still gave him dirty looks and Pete wished she would stop but again, didn't dare say

anything.

Silence hung in the air as humans and gorillas finished eating the supper of

vegetables, soup and cheese. Except for Galen's continuous purring, no one else

spoke for awhile. Pete couldn't even get his thoughts together due to his fatigue.

Artemis got up from the table. She picked up her youngest son. "You're going to bed.

She tapped the female servant on the shoulder and pointed towards Burke. "Keep an

eye on him." The female servant nodded in agreement and gazed an angry stare at Burke

who refrained from sticking his tongue out at her. Nicole started cleaning up the kitchen

and gave Pete loving glances. After she put some dishes in the sink, she went over to

Pete and started giving him a backrub.

"I don't know what has gotten into Mommy, but humans are usually too

cheap for her to capture and turn in. Hardcore criminals are usually what she goes after.

That's where the money is. You're too cute to turn in. Iam going to try to convince her to

keep you. We only have two humans. Alicia and her husband, Simon, who is not here at

the moment." Pete enjoyed having his back rubbed. He was achy in his bones from the

long day of travel. "Your mother is a determined lady. She seems to think Urko is going

to give her this huge reward for me. He won't give her anything, he will see it as her civic

duty to turn me in." Nicole giggled.

"And what did you do to ignite the wrath of the great Urko." Pete felt like he

was conversing with an adult, not a child. She certainly was a very mature twelve year

old. He didn't know how he should respond to her question. He didn't have to, Alicia

responded for him. "Oh, Urko is desperate to put him to death because he is from another

world."

There was a snarl in her voice. Pete raised his eyes. " Urko sees me as a

threat against simian civilization because I am not from here." Silently, he wished Alicia

would leave the room. Nicole continued rubbing his back.

"Urko is a fool. A bad security chief, he stinks at what he does. He

wastes his time chasing humans while the real criminals create havoc for simian society. I

hope someday to have his job." Alicia's face grew serious and then she laughed. "Oh,

that will be the day! I hope I am alive if that ever happens."

Pete glanced from Nicole to Alicia. Part of him couldn't believe what he was hearing. Caleb was cleaning out a cabinet and said nothing. Pete didn't know

how much longer he could tolerate this nutty household.

Artemis returned and motioned for Nicole to stop giving Pete the backrub. "Come,

you are going to sleep in the barn tonight under my watch." Pete got up and followed

the female gorilla outside. Alicia came as well. The night air was cool and Artemis

directed Alicia to lead the way to the barn. She followed from behind. A few steps away

from the house and Pete couldn't believe what he saw.

"You have a jacuzzi!"

"A what?" Artemis had no idea what he was talking about. Between the

barn and the house was an elegant marble jacuzzi. The water bubbled slightly and

appeared to be crystal clear, even by the light of the moon. All Pete could think of was

getting into it. "I mean, a hot tub…. A hot bath ….." Pete's voice trailed off.

"Oh, yes, the warm outside bath tub. My late husband and I discovered

there was a small hot spring on our land when we purchased it. Alicia's husband actually

contructed it, putting in the marble steps. My husband and I never cared for it but my

humans love it. Can't keep you humans out of the water. I swear, humans are part fish."

Pete studied the hot tub and was fascinated by it, refraining from jumping in. Artemis

realized his interest in it.

"Since you are going to your fate tomorrow, I suppose tonight you can sit in it for awhile." Alicia spoke up. "Yes, you are smelly anyways. Take your clothes off and

get in. "I'll watch him, Artemis. You can get some rest." Artemis sighed and lectured her

female servant.

"You are not capable of watching him,Alicia. This is only an opportunity

for you to get your jollies. Go inside and get my notebook for me." The female servant

frowned and walked back into the house. She turned towards Pete. "If you want to get

into the hot tub, take off your clothes and get in." Pete couldn't resist the opportunity to

sit in a jacuzzi for awhile. It would do his aching bones some good and he would feel

much better. He removed his clothes and handed them to Artemis.

"You know, you are the only female I have ever known that got my

clothes off twice in one day."

"Shut up and get in before I change my mind!"

The water felt soothing to the dark haired astronaut's skin and tired muscles.

He sat in the warm water for several minutes and felt himself starting to doze. He was

jolted awake when Alicia returned and handed the thick notebook to Artemis. Artemis

ordered her back into the house and started reading through the notebook. Pete ducked

into the water up to his neck and swam over to the edge of the jacuzzi. He peered over at

Artemis.

"Must be an important notebook." Artemis didn't respond so he tried again to

get her attention. "Is that all the criminals you are hunting down?" "Yes, it is." It's

a very thick notebook. You are one busy,lady." Artemis finally looked away from her

list and acknowledged him.

"Simian society has too many deviant apes who go against the law. I

provide a great service like my father and his father." Pete listened to her in-

intently.

"You are good, Artemis. I give you credit, I have escaped Urko and his soldiers but not you." She gave him a soft glance but said nothing. "You know what Urko

will do to me when you turn me in."

"I try not to think about it." The female gorilla continued reading the

notebook. "He is going to torture me and then execute me. I haven't done

anything to deserve that." Pete's voice cracked. Artemis felt a chill go up and down her

spine.

"You're a fugitive, he wants you for something." Pete's eyes grew sad and

he realized he had to start pleading with his captor. " Look, Artemis, don't turn me in. I'll

help you capture some of the criminals in your notebook." Artemis got up and moved

further to the edge of the hot tub.

"Really! You would do that for me and my family? "

"Yes, I help you and you let me go." Artemis was intrigued with the

idea. She would temporarily have a partner who worked for nothing except his freedom.

Not bad she thought to herself.

The female gorilla sat under the moonlight and pondered the idea before she gave a

response. She then leaned over the edge of the hot tub and put her hand under Pete's

chin so he would be looking into her eyes. "No funny business. I run the show, you do

what I say. Sometimes I capture as many as twenty fugitives in a day. But tomorrow

will be an easy day. If we bring in five, you can go. Any less and off to Urko's head-

quarters. Any attempts to escape and we will stop and it's directly to Urko. Do you un-

derstand?" Pete's face was serious. His eyes revealed sadness and he was starting to

get dark circles under his eyes from fatigue. Artemis could see this but she didn't change

her tone of voice. "Get out of that thing, we start at dawn!"

…………………………………………………………………………………………….

Pete could feel in his sleep, someone poking him. In a dreamlike state, Alan and

Galen were talking to him, telling him how worried they were about him. He missed his

friends and when he finally woke up, he surveyed the barn for them. Then he re-

membered where he was. It was still dark. Pete forced himself up. Caleb was the one

attempting to wake him. "You were so tired last night, no one had to watch you. My

Mommy stayed for a short time but you were in a coma. Pete stood up and stretched.

"That jacuzzi did me in, better than a sleeping pill." He yawned and followed the

young gorilla into the house where a bowl of porridge was waiting for him. It

tasted wonderful and he ate two bowls of it before starting in on some fruit. Through

the window he could see Artemis arrive on horseback. Apparently she had been out

riding. She came through the door and was ready to get going. "We are already late.

come on, if you want your freedom." Pete couldn't believe it. The sun was justing

starting to come up. He swallowed some grapes and then got up from the table.

"Okay boss. Just tell me where to go and what to do." She placed a map of

the city in front of him. Marks were made at certain spots to indicate where the fugitives

were. She handed it to him. "This is your copy, I assume you are smart enough to read

this."Pete nodded. She continued talking. "This should be fairly easy today, except for

the last chimp. He is part of a gang and it could get ugly. I may allow you to carry a knife

at that point, depending on how I feel." Pete felt nervous, pains started in his stomach.

"All chimps? Today, we are picking up all chimps!" Artemis scowled at

him. "You have a problem with that?" Pete felt weak and wanted to sit down. "No

problem, Artemis." Her anger started to rise.

"You are the only human I know who likes chimps. Get over it.

Now, come on. Before I change my mind about this!" She grabbed Pete's arm and

guided him outside. A wagon with a horse was waiting. She motioned for Pete to get

in and she told the horse to get moving. Pete sat in the wagon and felt so nervous he

didn't know if he could do this. Being handed over to Urko looked better all the time.

He hoped the ride into the ape city would be long so he could try to calm his nerves.

No such luck. It was fairly short. Artemis stopped the wagon and left it just outside the

city in a secluded area. She ordered Pete out of the wagon which he did despite his

shaking knees. He also noticed she had a gun with her. Great. This was going to be a fun

day.

Artemis led Pete to an alley behind some buildings where a tough young orangutan

met them. He had a scar under his right eye and Pete noticed that the eye itself looked

damaged. Pete could tell that the orangutan was relaxed around the female gorilla. He

spoke first.

"You are going to have a hard time with the leader of the gang. He is in

hiding. I don't recommend you go after him." The orangutan looked Pete all over but

did not acknowledge him. Artemis put her hand on his shoulder.

"Oh, today is the day, it's jail or his death. But he is last on my list. The

others we discussed come in first. I want to start with Louis." The orangutan took a step

back from her. "That's the easy one. He is at his usual hangout at this hour. On the

market street, go to the end. There is a sellar who specializes in bananas. He'll be there

stuffing his face. You better get going, he'll only be there until his favorite bar opens."

Pete couldn't believe his ears. A drunken chimp who gorged on bananas. Apparently, this

was the day he got to see the lower element of simian society. The pains in his stomach

came and went. He longed for this day to be over with.

Artemis was anxious to get going. She worked fast.

"You know where to meet me later." Pete had to run to keep up with

her. "Get a move on, the market street is across town."

"Who is that?" "My informant. He helps me and he doesn't go to jail,

unless I change my mind of course." Pete was already feeling fatigued again. By the time

they reached the market street, Artemis stopped suddenly. Pete crashed into her. She

didn't mind and grabbed him around his waist. She pointed to the fugitive chimp. He was

talking to a female chimp next to a stall of bananas.

"There he is. Go get him!" Pete swallowed hard. " Okay. Just go get

him? Is he going to put up a fight?"

"Kick him in the leg. His left leg. It's weak and he'll be in pain. I'll be

right there with the handcuffs." Pete started pinching himself to see if this was actually all

real and not a bad dream. He walked down the street at a fast pace, wanting to get this

over with. The two chimps were deep in conversation and never noticed him until he

walked up to the male and kicked his left leg. The male chimp didn't flinch and turned to

look at him while the female attempted to hit Pete who managed to step back. The

female was irate. "What the hell are you doing, you stinkin human!" She became angry

and lunged towards Pete. She was too late. Artemis knocked her to the ground and

already had the male in handcuffs.

The female got up and attempted to leave when Pete tripped her and sat

on her. Artemis handed him another pair of handcuffs which he managed to get on her.

The male chimp babbled nonstop. "Here we go again, Artemis! Nothing else to do but

chase me around and turn me in. A gorilla with no husband and no life. You should be

home with your wayward children." Artemis hit him, knocking him out. She then lifted

the female to her feet. "It's such a good day. Two instead of one. She hit the female

chimp in the face and she fell over except Pete caught her before she hit the ground. The

female chimp groaned in pain and then her eyes connected with Pete's. Pete was shaking

but held on to her.

A gorilla soldier on horseback arrived. "Good work, Artemis. I'll take them both in

and your pay will be at the prefect's office. Pete felt weak when he saw the gorilla

soldier but didn't have anything to worry about. He seemed more interested in the two

chimps. He ordered them to start walking. When they were out of sight, Pete felt re-

lieved. The apes who were in the market area watching the commotion returned back to

what they were doing.

"I thought you were only after the male?" He was slightly out of breath.

"She interferred with Louis' capture. That is against the law. She'll go to jail too."

Pete noticed that Artemis appeared to be full of energy and was just getting started.

"This is good, we caught two instead of one. Hopefully the day will continue to

be this good."

Pete silently prayed that this day would come to an end. Maybe an

earthquake, hurricane or tornado would be a stop to his bounty hunting career. He didn't

know if he could survive the day. That female chimp was very strong and he felt like he

had had enough.

"I thought you said that his left leg was weak? He didn't move when I kicked

him." "Oh, I just told you that so you would have something to do. That was probably

the easiest time we are going to have today." "Great, just wonderful." Pete ran to catch

up with Artemis. "Who's the next lucky chimp?" "We are going to bring in Chester the

cheating chimp. His wife never will divorce him so she sends me out to retrieve him

from his love excursions. Be careful, this could be ugly. I have been shot at by a few of

his angry girlfriends." Pete looked up at the sky. If Galen and Alan were here they

would be laughing.

Artemis led Pete to a house outside of the city. It was somewhat secluded. She

motioned for Pete to remain silent while they waited outside. Pete refrained from talking

or trying to pace back and forth. His nerves were not very good and he was still contem-

plating turning himself into Urko. "How long are we going to wait?"

"Not very long. If he doesn't show up we'll move on to someone else." As

Artemis was speaking two chimps arrived on horses and went around to the back of the

house. Pete swallowed hard and hoped this would all be over soon. Both chimps led their

horses into a barn and entered the house. Artemis motioned to Pete that they were going

to wait.

"Why are we waiting?" "Shhh….just a few more minutes, then we go in the house."

Pete shook his head and remained silent. After about twenty minutes, Artemis grabbed

his arm and led him into the house. No one was in the front room so Artemis led the

weary astronaut into a bedroom at the end of a long hallway. Screams could be heard as

both chimps who were in bed together were startled by the presence of the gorilla and a

human. Pete's eyes almost popped out of his head. "Oh…..myyyy!" The embaressed

astronaut averted his eyes but his gorilla captor just acted like this was another day of

work. The female chimp dashed out of the bed and into a closet, she was still yelling.

The male chimp sat up and gave out a big sigh.

"Artemis, can't you ever take a day off? How much is my wife

paying you this time? Last time she gave you my favorite horse. And now you have a

human for an assistant? What's gotten into you?" The chimp put his head in his hands.

"Shut up, dear!" He shouted towards the closet. Artemis was not amused.

" You never learn, Chester. I still don't understand why your wife does not

divorce you!"

"It's because she prefers to torture me." The chimp started to get out of

the bed. The sheet covered very little of him and Pete was so nervous, he stood behind

Artemis. "Both of you are coming with me. Tell your new honey to get out of the

closet!"

Whimpering could be heard in the closet and Artemis was getting impatient.

"Let's go! I don't have all day!" The female chimp burst out of the closet pointing a gun

at Artemis. Pete tried to control his nerves but "uh oh" came out of him. The male chimp

diffused his partner. "Calm down. After my wife pays Artemis, we'll get together again."

The female chimp still pointed the gun.

"You told me you were never married!" Artemis began laughing.

'So you are back to your original line. Let's see, we have "I am a

widower, I am divorced and of course I have never been married. You ought to come

up with some new material. This is so old." The angry female chimp then pointed the

gun at Chester who still remained very calm. Artemis managed to leap across the room

and get the gun away from her. Pete was at a loss over what to do so he remained still.

Artemis ordered both chimps to get dressed. She tied both of them up and then instructed

Pete to watch them while she retrieved the wagon. Pete was still nervous and prayed that

Artemis would return soon. Both chimps surveyed Pete who felt uncomfortable and

didn't know if he should converse with the two prisoners or not. Chester spoke first. "I

assume you belong to Artemis." Pete just nodded his head.

"It's kind of odd she would bring her slave with her. Artemis works alone. "

Pete didn't know how to respond. He wished Artemis would return. It seemed like she

had been gone forever. The female chimp was still angry. "A human shouldn't be

attacking chimps! Pete was startled. "I didn't attack you."

"My father's aunt has a gardener who works for the prefect. This

won't go unnoticed!" Chester nudged her with his elbow. "Calm down, honey." "Don't

call me honey. You are going to sit in jail with this stinkin human!" Pete felt the pains

returning to his stomach and wiped his forehead with his hand. He couldn't believe

this situation.

Artemis returned after forty-five minutes which seemed like an eternity to the

weary astronaut. She pulled both chimps to their feet and led them to the wagon. She

ordered Pete to watch them while she drove the wagon to a fairly large house. After she

went inside she returned with a large sum of money and ordered both chimps to go into

the house. She quickly returned to the wagon and as she drove away, Pete could hear

yelling and screaming going on inside. Relief flooded his body as the wagon became

further and further away from the arguing.

"That was fun. Anymore like that?" Artemis gave him angry look.

"There are plenty like Chester. I could base my whole business on

cheating apes but I like a job with variety." Pete and the female gorilla gazed at each

other, their eyes connecting. "I like having you along, it's great having the help." Pete

finally looked off in the distance.

" I am a space explorer, not a bounty hunter. I don't know how you do

this every day." He returned his gaze to the female gorilla. "The excitement is worth it

and the fact that I am contributing to simian society by bringing in crooks and wayward

simians. You are a weak human anyways and this work is probably too much for you."

Pete gave her a sarcastic glance.

"Thanks. You are so full of compliments and encouragement. I just

hope this day ends soon."

Artemis drove the wagon to a small house outside the city. Lush bushes and

flowers lined the yard. Artemis motioned for Pete to get out of the wagon. "We are doing

well today. It is only ten o'clock so we can have a long lunch with my aunt before we

descend upon the gang.

"Oh, great. Lunch and then the gang war. I hope I don't have

indigestion when we bring in the gang." Artemis tied the horse to a post. "You'll

like my aunt. Be good and relax, she is a great cook."

Both the astronaut and the female gorilla walked into the house. There were

several cats lounging around. A tiger striped cat came over to Pete and rubbed against

his leg. He petted the feline who purred loudly. Cats were on chairs and sofas, tables and

window sills. They all looked up from napping and surveyed the gorilla and her human.

Pete finally felt comfortable, a feeling he hadn't had for quite sometime now. An elderly

gorilla came into the room and embraced Artemis. Despite the gray in her face, she

walked like a much younger gorilla. "Well, look who's here! The best bounty hunter in

the family." They remained in an embrace. "And who is this handsome creature!"

"Aunt Isabelle, this is Pete. He is helping me today." The older gorilla

walked over to the dark haired astronaut and put his face in her hands. "He's got quite an

interesting face." Pete didn't know how to respond to her.

"Nice to meet you" was all he could come up with.

"You must be hungry. I have been cooking all morning and you

should eat!" She motioned for her two guests to go into a small dining room and they sat

down at a table. The gorilla put plates in front of them and a pitcher of water. Pete felt

odd. He knew he was considered to be a lowly human yet he was allowed to eat with

these gorillas. He doubted any of the gorilla soldiers after him would sit at a table and eat

a meal with him.

Aunt Isabelle proceded to place vegetable stew and salad in front of her two guests.

She kept studying Pete. "You are not from this world, are you?" The elderly gorilla had

a gentle voice. Pete looked up at her as he ate a salad. "No…….I am not." He didn't

want to discuss his predicament at the moment. He was too tired and anxious about the

rest of the afternoon. Isabelle continued to inquire about the astronaut. Pete could tell

she was wise. "Where are you from, then? I see someone who is very far from home."

Pete drank some water and started chewing on a slice of bread.

"I crashed here with two other astronauts. We come from Earth's

past……when humans ruled. I don't know what happened. Urko and Zaius see us as a

threat to the simian world. My companion and I have been on the run, with our friend

Galen. Galen is a chimp." He glanced at Artemis. Her face was very serious. "Galen,

Alan and myself believe that apes and humans can live together in peace." Isabelle was

fascinated. "You said there were three of you who crashed here. What happened to the

third one?" Pete tried to hide the sadness in his voice. "Jonesy didn't make it. He died when our ship crashed."

"So this is a strange world for you. You are out of place and time. But I can tell

you are not a quitter. Someday, apes and humans may co-exist as equals." Artemis

drank some water and got up to make coffee. "I have no problem living with humans.

Humans are smart, they could be free." Pete was interested in hearing what she had to

say. He watched her as she made the coffee.

"I don't hear that very often from apes." The female gorilla

returned to her seat. "Not all apes dislike humans. My family and I have had humans

living with us for a long time." Pete grinned slightly. He couldn't resist badgering her.

"Humans are okay, in your book. But chimps are another story!" He

waited for her response. She looked over at Isabelle. "Can you believe this? A chimp

loving human! Anything I say against chimps and he flips out. You are a character, the

way you adore that chimp friend of yours." Pete remained silent. He was baffled by this

female gorilla bounty hunter. But she intrigued him and he knew he had a fondness for

her, despite her faults. Isabelle got up and poured three cups of coffee.

"There is a pond behind the house. You can go for a swim while Isabelle and I play

a short game of chess." Pete drank some coffee and it went down the wrong way. After

coughing for a minute he regained his composure.

"I can't seem to keep my clothes on around you." Artemis frowned.

"Well, don't go swimming then! You seemed to enjoy it so much. I just thought that

before our last "Haul in" you would like to be refreshed. Our next crook is tough. He is

not going to be easy to deal with." Pete sipped his coffee and looked out the kitchen

window. He could see the crystal clear water of the pond surrounded by lush green trees.

It called out to him and he knew a good swim would be beneficial to his sanity. He

turned to look at Artemis and her dark eyes met his. "What a female!" was all he could

think of but he refrained from saying his thought outloud.

Isabelle added to the conversation. "You could watch us play chess and observe

how I slaughter my niece at this game." Artemis laughed. "She is telling tall stories. I

am getting quite proficient at this game." Pete grinned. "The pond sounds inviting and

since the afternoon is expected to be a rough one, I suppose I should go for a swim.

Sounds like it is possible it maybe my last one. " "Artemis frowned. "Don't think that

way. Rise to the challenge, nothing like a good fight."

"I like your positive attitude."

Pete swam in the pond and the cool water felt refreshing against his skin.

Artemis and Isabelle played their game of chess on a large rock on the shore.

Occasionally Artemis looked away from the game to observe the dark haired astronaut

who was swimming. "You are not paying attention. Your mind is elsewhere." Artemis

still gazed at the pond. Isabelle spoke again. "It's still your move. You going to move

sometime today or shall we continue this game tomorrow?" Artemis moved a pawn.

"Checkmate!" Isabelle didn't relish her victory, it was too easy. "As usual, I win. But

today you weren't in the game." "I have to get going. Pete and I have work to do. I thank

you for feeding us and as always the children and I will be here on Saturday." The

female gorilla got up and walked towards the pond. She picked up Pete's clothes and

waved them at him. "Come on! We have to get going!" The dark haired astronaut had

swam out to the middle of the pond and was returning to the shore. The swim had

calmed his nerves but he didn't like the feeling he had in the pit of his stomach. It wasn't

a bad feeling, it was an exciting feeling. He was enjoying this day with Artiemis despite

the stress. He didn't like the idea of leaving her and he pushed that thought away but it

kept coming back. He lectured to himself that he was crazy and to focus on his

companions who would be looking for him. The water still soothed him and he gradually

walked out of the pond and retrieved his clothes from Artemis. "We have to move fast, I

promised Zeus I would take him horsebacking riding before dark." Pete pulled his shirt

over his head. " So Zeus is his name , the little kicker. That's a powerful name for a little guy."

"It's my late husband's name. He died when I was pregnant." Pete had finished getting

dressed and stood eye to eye with Artemis. "I'm sorry, Artemis. You are doing a great

job raising your children alone." The female gorilla looked down for a minute and then

motioned for Pete to move along.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Pete and Artemis stood at the original location where they met the orangutan in the

morning. The orangutan was hesitant. "I don't know, Artemis. I don't trust this

chimp you plan on capturing. He can be vicious." Pete remained silent but didn't like

what he was hearing. "I have to bring in Ares, the money is too good and it is about

time he went to jail. This one has been on the run far too long." Pete's eyes widened

when he heard the name Ares. He kind of felt like he was participating in a Greek

play and the actors were all apes. If he ever did return to Alan and Galen, he didn't

know if they would even believe his story.

"Okay, Artemis. You are so determined. Ares and the gang are in that house over

there." The orangutan pointed towards a house across the street. "Come on, let's go!"

Artemis motioned for Pete to get going and the orangutan watched them as they crossed

the street and entered the house.

It was a larger amount of chimps than Pete expected. There were at least fifteen.

His only thought was "this is it. This is the end." Without realizing it, he put his hand on

Artemis' shoulder. Her eyes met his and they were gentle and calm.

One of the chimps came forward. Surprisingly, he didn't appear as tough as Pete

thought he would be. "Artemis, what a pleasure! You've come to join us!" The female

gorilla was getting angry.

"Don't be foolish! You are coming with me. It's over. Without

you the gang will have to cease their illegal activities." Ares didn't act fazed by her

statement. The other chimps moved in closer. Pete who stood behind Artemis re-

ceived the knife she slipped to him. He forced his hand to stop shaking and tried to

appear calm. Ares continued talking. "We can make this easy, Artemis. You can go

home to your children and forget about this. Or we can make this very ugly. You and

your human won't live. I am shocked that you have lowered your standards to the point

that you are bringing a human along with you. The job getting to be too much,Artemis?

Only a pathetic human will work with you?" The other chimps laughed. Pete didn't like

this banter and felt himself getting angry.

"Look, pal! I'd listen to the lady or don't listen to the lady. When

we are through your buddies here can clean up the mess. And I can see the headlines

now. Female gorilla and lowly human defeat the chimp with the biggest ego on the

planet." Artemis felt her jaw drop. Like the ancient Greek god who he was named after,

Ares could be full of wrath.

The chimp didn't seem angry though. He moved forward again and remained

calm. "Humans are known to be quite creative with their speech. You trained this one

well, Artemis." "I didn't train him, Ares. Come on. You are coming with us." Artemis

reached for the arm of the chimp and side stepped him when he shot at her. Fortunately,

the bullet only grazed her arm but she fell to the floor. Pete was quick enough to stab

Ares in the stomach as he attempted to shoot her again. The gun went off but he had

pointed it at the ceiling when he felt the knife in his stomach. Pete was almost in a rage.

He stood over Artetmis and the chimp, holding the knife in the air. The rest of the gang

retreated. They were shocked by Pete's defense of Artemis. He wavered between his

anger and his concern for Artemis. The chimp was curled up the fetal position and groaned.

The orangutan informant came through the door with three gorilla soldiers and rounded

up the gang. By now, Artemis had gotten to her feet. "He looked at Pete holding the

knife.

"It was smart of you to bring your human. I wondered why he was

with you, you always work alone. You obviously knew this was too dangerous to be

alone." One of the gorilla soldiers spoke to Artemis. "There is a large reward for you at

the prefect's office. Good job, Artemis." He studied Pete. "I have never encountered a

human who defended an ape before. You did well." Pete was actually relaxed. He looked

into the soldier's eyes, something he rarely did in the presence of apes. "I care about this lady."

It was a statement he didn't expect to have come out of him and he was shocked he said

it. The look on the soldier's face changed, it softened. "She's a lucky female." He then

returned to go out the door, following the other soldiers and the gang of criminal chimps.

Pete studied Artemis' arm. It was only slightly wounded with a small amount of

blood trickeling down her arm. "This needs to be tended to." Their eyes met.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Pete sat in the hot tub and soaked up the warm water. His muscles relaxed and he even

felt better inside. The day of chasing the lower element of simian society came to a close.

Alicia and her husband also sat in the hot tub across from Pete. All three humans were in

the nude and their clothes laid scattered around the edge of the tub. Alicia didn't seem to

be as antagonistic towards Pete as she was before. Her husband who had returned from

working on another farm was pleasant and welcoming to Pete. The serenity of the at-

mosphere was interrupted by Artemis who had walked up to the edge of the tub. "Your

friends are coming down the road." Pete leaped out of the hot tub and quickly put his

clothes on.

………………………………………………………………………………………….

Pete and Artemis stood face to face in the road in front of her house. He felt

a mixture of emotions and was suddenly very uncomfortable. The female gorilla

appeared to be uncomfortable as well. Good-byes were never easy and she didn't

want to say good-bye to this human. She took a deep breath. Pete had a lump in his

throat. "You and your friends are welcome to stay here. Even your chimp friend can

stay too." Pete grinned slightly. "I can't put you and your family in jeopardy." The

female gorilla handed a folded piece of paper to the dark haired astronaut. He unfolded

it and was amazed by the long list of names and addresses on it. "All of these apes owe

me favors. If you are in trouble or need a place to hide and you are near one of these

simians, go to them and tell them you know me. You'll be safe this way." Pete's face

became serious. He was stunned. "I am grateful for this, Artemis. I am going to miss

you." Next, the simian and the human embraced for a few minutes. Artemis didn't

want to let go of him. Pete finally stepped back and squeezed her hand as he began

walking down the road to join his friends.

Alan and Galen had stopped at a certain place by the road when they saw the gorilla

and their companion embrace. Pete walked steadily towards them but he appeared to be

glum. Alan walked over to him. "We decided to wait here. Didn't want to interrupt you

and your girlfriend." Pete gave him a sharp look and then returned his gaze back to Art-

emis. She was still in front of her house watching him. Pete didn't feel like talking and

just put his arm around Galen and Alan as the three of them walked onwards. His

thoughts ran on. He didn't know where to begin. Should he start with how he met a

cat named Galen or he spent most of his time recently without his clothes on? A chimp

called Ares and a very angry human female were other unusual encounters he had. The

dark haired astronaut continued walking with his friends and looked ahead at the road

in front of them.

……………………………………………………………………………………………..

Security Chief Urko grunted as he handed documents over to his assistant. The

female gorilla bounty hunter stood in front of him with three gorillas linked by chains.

Urko's soldiers led the prisoners away and he scowled at the female in front of him.

"You have been busy this week, Artemis! Everyday you have been bringing in the lower

element of simian society." Silently, he was embaressed and jealous of her. She was so

successful in bringing in the most wanted fugitives and now her wealth rivaled his. She

also just purchased some champion race horses. His anger was beginning to boil up.

"I heard a rumor, Artemis, that you captured Ares with the aid of a human male. It is

against the law to harbor human fugitives. I hope this male was not a fugitive. You have

gained so much, it would be a shame to lose it all." The female gorilla inched closer to

the security chief. Their eyes met and their faces were five inches apart. "I do not harbor

fugitives! You should be chasing the real criminals instead of weak humans!" Urko held

his composure and controlled his anger.

"Humans are the real threat to the simian world. You have a duty to

protect our world!" Artemis didn't flinch. "Ah, sir, you are so weak. Someday my

daughter will have your position and then truly, simian society will be great."

The female bounty hunter then turned away from the seething gorilla and walked out the door.


End file.
